


The Rules

by Barb Cummings (Rahirah)



Series: The Barbverse [66]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Canon Character of Color, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-23
Updated: 2010-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-14 00:32:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahirah/pseuds/Barb%20Cummings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dawn Summers explains it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rules

**Author's Note:**

> A day in the Barbverse, where schmoop often involves homicide. Kind of written for Schmoop Bingo, though it didn't match any of my prompts.

So they seem to be getting to the kissing part a little sooner than she'd anticipated, and that's OK, it really is, but Dawn has a schedule for these kinds of things.

"You do, huh?" Gunn asks.

"Yep." Dawn settles back against him. "First date is awkward small talk. Second date is uncomfortable personal revelations. Third date is political arguments. Only then can we proceed to fumbling, groping, and eventually, the embarrassing first sex."

Gunn considers this. "Could be I'm shallow, but I'd rather skip straight to the terrifying confrontation with the in-laws."

She pokes him. He's really very pokeable. Add another point to the "Charles Gunn Yay!" column. "You did that one already. Proper order must be preserved. Uncomfortable revelations. Like, 'I used to be a glowy green ball of energy!' and 'I angst about whether to call you black or African-American!'"

"How about for the moment you call me Charles?"

"Doable. Now you."

"I killed a man once." He's watching her as he says it, with that level gaze that's one of the things she likes best about him. And also maybe like he expects her to react in a certain way, a way in which she hasn't reacted to much since she was fourteen. "I'm not proud of that. But it's something I don't think I should keep from a woman I... respect."

There's only one response to that. "Why?"

"He sent Fred to a hell dimension."

Dawn considers in her turn. "Huh. No wonder Spike likes you."

He raises an eyebrow, and she shrugs. "Charles, my brother-in-law's a _vampire._ And I saw a hellgod tear an army limb from limb when I was fifteen. You're gonna have to do better than that to scare me off."

His eyes are serious. "Been trying ever since. To do better, I mean."

She nods. "OK." That's enough for her; she hopes it's enough for him. "I was a huge Vanilla Ice fan when I was seven."

"Woman, you are _dead_ to me!"

But they get to the kissing part pretty quickly after that.

 

 **End**


End file.
